fo.  6. 


January,   1909. 


bulletin  0f  jnfnrmHttrrn 

Peabody  College 

FOR 

TEACHERS 


John  M.  Bass  Memorial. 


stumer  sitg  nf  Nasftmlle 

Iforuratrg,  ^ttag,  %\xnz,  gutg,  Ssptetttbxr  and  ^txmmbzt 

Nashmll*,  Tmn. 


Entered  May  10,  1902,  at  Nashville,  Term.,  as  second-class  matter,  under  Act  of 
Congress  of  July  16,  1894, 


Peabody  College 


FOR 


TEACHERS 


John  M.  Bass  Memorial. 


nashviele,  tenn. 

Published  by  the  University  oe  Nashville 

1909. 


Memorial  (terctses 

^elD  op 

Ct)e  Unitoersttp  of  jRasptlle 
^eabotip  College  for  CeaclW 

J12otoember  23,  1908, 

3n  Commemoration  of  tbe  Hffe  anD  ^erm'ces 

of 

3oj)n  jftleretitt!)  Hass, 

Cogetber  toitft  resolutions  aDopteD  bp  tfte 

Institutions  toitb  taibicb  be 

tarns  connecteD, 

3nD  tributes  from  tbe 

Members  of  peaboDp  JFacultp  anD 

otbet  frienDs* 


2Dn  tfte  Deatj)  of  Joim  9@*  TBa00 


H^e  thought  that  Death  was  hard  and  harsh,  a  Doomer  of  dread  power  ;• 
Ah  no!    his  wings  wave  gently  as  the  petals  of  a  flower. 

What  hath  he  done?     Why  have  we  watched  and  wept? 
He  touched  our  friend's  tired  eyelids,  and  he  slept. 

What  hath  he  taken?     Not  the  kindly  smile, 
The  sterling  worth,  the  wisdom  without  guile. 

How  hath  he  wronged  us?     Still  we  have  our  friend; 
For  love  and  trust  there  cannot  be  an  end. 

Who  mourneth  overmuch,  and  murmureth? 
The  Soul  that  made  shall  care  for  him  in  death. 

The  mortal  in  him  slept,  th'  immortal  changed: 
Over  the  hills  of  Heaven  he  hath  ranged, — 

A  boundless  country,  and  a  beautiful; 

And  Death  its  usher  is  and  sentinel, 

Who  seals  the  eyes  of  them  he  loveth  well 

(And  all  he  loveth  well!), 

Till  they  have  journeyed  whither  they  may  not  tell, — 
A  boundless  country,  and  a  beautiful ! 

Ah,  what  their  secret?     Why  does  none  return? 
Their  Mentor  Death  hath  won  them,  long  they  learn. 

Gladly  they  wander  with  him  far  and  high ; — 
Death's  Love's  disguise  to  all  of  them  that  die. 

We  thought  that  Death  was  hard  and  harsh,  a  Doomer  of  dread  power; 
Ah  no!    his  wings  wave  gently  as  the  petals  of  a  flower. 

—  GEORGE  HERBERT  CLARKE. 


<§n  iHonbag  morning,  Nourmbrr  23,  100B,  memorial  rxrrriara 
merr  Ijrlb  in  tljr  (Eollrgr  (ftljaorl  in  Ijonor  of  iEr.  Jloljn  ilrrrbitb. 
UaBfi,  latr  grrrrtaru.  anb  ©rrafinrrr  of  Pr abobg  Qlollrgr  for  ofcarh,- 
*ra,  anb  ©mater  of  tljr  Iniueraiiu,  of  Nasl^utUr.  (Hljr  families 
anb  sinbrnta  of  Jlrabobg,  tljr  ilrbiral  Srnartmrnt,  3§initjroo  pre- 
paratory ^rijool,  anb  iUonioomrrg  Hell  Arabemg  were  in  atirnb- 
anrr,  anb  renrraentatuiea  from  rtjrae  tnaiitntiona  brliurrrb  abbrraaea 
anb  rrab  rraoluitona  mljirlj  are  nrrarnirb  in  th,r  following  nagra, 
together  with,  tljr  tributes  front  tljr  inbiuibnal  mrmbera  of  ttj*  |Ira- 
bobg  faroltg,  anb  otljrr  abmirera. 


^titosses 


President  James  D.  Porter. 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

r^tOHN  M.  BASS  was  born  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  October 
J  23, 1845.  He  bore  the  name  of  bis  father,  long  a  leading  citizen 
and  business  man  of  Nashville.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Felix 
Grundy,  and  was  conspicuous  in  the  social  life  of  the  city.  Mr.  Bass 
was  a  pupil  of  the  eminent  Nathaniel  Cross  and  other  local  teachers, 
and  took  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  at  Bethany  College,  Virginia, 
then  under  the  presidency  of  the  distinguished  Alexander  Campbell. 
He  took  his  junior  year  course  at  the  law  school  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,  and  spent  his  senior  year  at  the  law  school  of  Cumberland 
University  at  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  where  he  received  his  diploma. 
He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  with  encouraging 
prospects  of  success.  A  man  with  his  high  sense  of  honor,  with  his 
industry,  good  sense,  intelligence  and  correct  habits  commands  success 
in  any  department  of  life.  But  his  father  requiring  his  services  in 
the  care  of  large  planting  interests  on  the  Arkansas  River,  he  aban- 
doned at  once  the  hope  of  professional  employment  and  advancement, 
and  spent  the  best  years  of  his  life  on.  the  plantation,  burying  his 
ambition  in  the  unprofitable  cotton  fields.  Returning  to  Nashville 
with  his  taste  for  the  law  in  eclipse,  he  made  no  effort  to  regain  his 
position  at  the  bar.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Nashville,  he 
was  elected  his  successor. 

His  distinguished  grandfather  had  served  for  many  years  as  one 
of  the  trustees,  and  his  love  for  and  devotion  to  the  college  was,  as  he 
often  said,  the  best  part  of  his  inheritance.     On  the  death  of  his  friend 


10  I' i:\BODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


and  my  honored  kinsman,  Edward  D.  Hicks,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  University  Board,  he  was  made  his  successor,  and  soon  there- 
after was  assigned  to  the  same  duty  ivith  the  Peabody  College  for 
Teachers,  and  all  expenditures  on  account  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
Peabody  Education  Fund  was  made  through  and  by  him.  The 
administration  of  Mr.  Bass  embraced  the  financial  affairs  of  the 
University  of  Nashville  and  all  of  its  schools,  the  Peabody  College, 
the  Medical  Department,  Montgomery  Bell  Academy  and  the  Win- 
throp  Preparatory  School.  It  was  exact  and  self-explanatory,  every 
penny  was  accounted  for  and  a  voucher  was  fled  showing  by  what 
authority  the  appropriation  was  made.  Expenditures  for  all  purposes 
were  made  by  him;  he  was  superintendent  of  buildings  and  grounds, 
and  guardian  of  the  young  ladies  and  young  men;  was  the  depository 
of  their  troubles  and  sorrows,  and  always  their  intelligent  guide  and 
friend.  In  sickness  the  student  body  received  his  watchful  care,  and 
in  its  exercise  it  was  affectionate  and  paternal.  Who  can  forget  his 
watchfulness  and  tenderness?  He  was  a  student,  and  kept  in  touch 
with  schools tand  literary  men,  and  was  himself  a  writer  of  taste  and 
judgment.  He  was  for  twelve  years  Secretary  of  the  Tennessee  His- 
torical Society,  two  years  co-editor  and  contributor  to  the  American 
Historical  Magazine,  and  was  a  student  of  current  and  past  history. 
In  that  field  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  our  State.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  preparing  a  history  of  the  life  work  of  his 
distinguished  grandfather,  and  it  is  a  distinctive  loss  to  the  State  that 
he  could  not  live  to  consummate  a  work  of  real  value.  He  was  the 
active  and  unselfish  friend  of  this  college;  he  believed  that  a  career 
of  distinction  and  usefulness  was  in  sight  for  it,  and  his  fondest  hope 
was  to  see  the  fulfillment  of  his  wishes. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  thorough  gentleman;    a  gentleman  born,  and  by 
education   and  environment.     He  never  had  an   associate  outside  of 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  H 


his  class,  and  he  combined  with  these  qualities  practical  sense  and 
judgment.  His  judgment  was  manifested  when  he  assumed  control 
of  the  office  he  filled  so  well.  .  He  chared  the  financial  atmosphere 
of  the  college;  business  methods  were  introduced,  and  his  influence 
and  example  were  so  potent  that  adverse  criticism  shrank  from  his 
presence.  My  association  with  him  during  the  past  seven  years  gave 
me  a  better  opinion  of  men.  Polite,  courteous,  tolerant,  generous,  he 
grew  on  me  day  by  day.  His  brother  was  my  school-fellow  here; 
his  father  and  my  own  were  friends  and  school-fellows  at  Transyl- 
vania University  at  Lexington,  Kentucky.  This  brought  us  together 
years  ago,  but  my  association  with  him  here  cemented  this  inherited 
friendship. 

His  immediate  friends  will  derive  comfort  from  the  knowledge  that 
his  high  ideals  came  from  his  heart  and  brain,  and  that  they  entered 
into  his  daily  transactions  with  the  humblest  and  the  highest.  His 
influence  will  be  lasting  and  far  reaching;  every  young  man  and 
young  woman  student  has  felt  it,  and  it  will  be  an  inheritance  that 
will  be  fadeless  and  enduring  as  his  memory. 


12  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Professor  J.  I.  D.  Hinds,  Dean  of  the  Faculty  of  Peabody 
College  for  Teachers. 


A  S  the  stream  -flows  downward  from  the  mountain  height,  moves 
■^  -*■  across  the  fertile  valleys,  and  speeds  onward  to  the  sea,  so  the  life 
of  man  goes  on — resistlessly,  inexorably  on — and  no  earthly  power  of 
will  or  of  material  force  can  stay  its  tide.  As  day  follows  day  we 
see  our  companions  falling  one  by  one ,\  we  see  the  ranks  of  the  friends 
of  our  youth  growing  thinner  and  thinner,  and  we  realize  that  we  also 
are  only  waiting  for  the  summons,  and  thai  it  is  sure  to  come — it  may 
be  soon,  it  may  be  late.  It  behooves  us  all  then  to  make  such  wise 
preparation  that  when  our  summons  does  come  to  pin 

"The  innumerable  caravan  that  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death  " 
We  "go  not  like  the  quarry  slave  at  night 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon;  but  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  'our*  grave 
Like  one  that  draws  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

Life  is  a  surprise  and  death  a  mystery. 

"We  are  such  stuff 
As  dreams  are  made  on;  and  our  little  life 
Is  rounded  with  a  sleep." 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  13 


We  begin  the  day  with  sleep  and  end  it  in  sleep.  The  day-dawn 
of  our  existence  awakes  us  from  sleep,  and  at  death  we  lie  down  to 
slumber.  As  the  sleep  of  night  is  dissipated  by  the  morning  light,  so 
we  hope  for  a  dawn  beyond  the  grave  which  will  not  fade  away,  and 
a  life  not  (i rounded  with  a  sleep." 

I  have  known  Mr.  Bass  intimately  only  since  my  connection  with 
the  college  began.  I  have  always  found  him  courteous,  accommo- 
dating and  kind;  ready  to  grant  any  reasonable  request,  and  always 
very  much  of  a  gentleman.  He  was  socially  a  good  fellow.  He 
loved  a  jest,  and  was  a  good  story  teller.  He  was  strictly  honest 
and  truthful,  and  uprightness  and  integrity  were  among  his  marked 
characteristics. 

Of  the  many  virtues  which  Mr.  Bass  possessed  I  shall  take  time 
now  to  mention  only  two.  The  first  of  these  was  his  solicitude  for 
others  and  his  kindly  interest  in  them.  His  watchful  eye  was  ever 
upon  the  students,  and  he  was  concerned  about  their  health,  their  well- 
being,  their  deportment  and  their  success.  He  was  sympathetic  and 
ready  to  assist  and  advise.  He  was  impatient  of  wrong-doing,  but 
patient  with  the  wrong-doer.  He  had  an  acute  sense  of  propriety,  and 
was  always  pained  when  anyone  was  guilty  of  rude  or  unbecoming 
conduct.  I  have  often  noticed  the  expression  of  distress  in  his  face 
at  the  chapel  services  when  anything  occurred  which  was  not  in 
accord  with  his  sense  of  propriety. 

The  second  virtue  to  which  I  desire  to  refer  is  our  friend's  devotion 
to  the  college  and  to  his  duty.  As  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the 
institution,  he  gave  to  it  his  most  ardent  and  devoted  service.  No  one 
so  much  as  he,  unless  it  be  our  good  Chancellor,  was  waiting  with 
such  solicitude  for  the  permanent  establishment  and  endowment  of 
the  college.  He  served  the  college  with  his  whole  energy,  often  pro- 
longing his  hours  of  labor  and  giving  to  his  duties  time  which  should 


14  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 

have  been  spent  in  rest  and  recreation.  As  the  dispenser  of  the  funds 
of  the  college,  he  studied  the  strictest  economy,  and  was  careful  to  see 
that  no  dollar  was  wasted  or  injudiciously  spent.  He  handled  checks 
for  the  students  for  their  accommodation,  often  at  much  inconvenience 
to  himself,  and  sometimes  at  pecuniary  loss.  Although  for  many 
months  his  failing  health  brought  him  much  suffering  and  nervous 
weakness,  he  maintained  a  cheerful  exterior  and  wonderful  self- 
control.  Knowing  the  frailties  of  human  nature  and  the  multiform 
temptations  with  which  men  are  surrounded,  he  was  always  solicitous 
for  the  reputation  of  his  friends,  and  a  characteristic  question  which 
he  was  wont  to  ask  on  meeting  you  was,  "How  is  your  character 
this  morning?"  At  the  same  time  he  was  equally  concerned  about 
his  own  reputation.  He  was  exceedingly  sensitive  to  public  opinion, 
and  was  careful  that  his  public  acts  should  not  carry  with  them  the 
least  taint  of  suspicion.  He  was  a  good  and  faithful  steward;  not 
a  dollar  ever  passed  through  his  hands  without  being  properly  accounted 
and  vouched  for. 

Our  friend  is  gone.  His  final  account  is  handed  in,  and  has 
been  audited,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  has  already  received  the  com- 
mendation, "Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant.  Thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many 
things;    enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  15 


Dr.  S.  S.  Crockett,  Representing  the  Medical  Department. 


Mr.  CbanceUory  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

/t  P  the  death  of  a  good  many  like  the  one  whose  memory  we  meet 
-^ -*  this  morning  to  commemorate,  the  community  at  large,  in  its 
feeble,  human  way,  experiences  a  distinct  loss.  He  was  taken  from  us 
apparently  at  the  zenith  of  his  usefulness.  The  department  that  I 
have  the  honor  to  represent  this  morning  experiences  peculiar  grief 
in  the  death  of  Mr.  Bass.  He  was  the  constant  friend  of  our  depart- 
ment. During  the  days  of  our  adversity  it  was  Mr.  Bass  who  con- 
tinually gave  us  encouragement  and  held  before  us  prophetic  expres- 
sions of  hope  and  cheerfulness,  and  no  one  rejoiced  more  than  he 
when  the  day  of  our  success  came. 

In  expressing  the  grief  that  zue  feel  as  a  department,  I  am  instructed 
likewise  to  express  the  grief  of  every  individual  connected  with  us. 
We  ask  permission  to  assemble,  as  it  were,  around  the  newly-made 
grave  of  Mr.  Bass  and  add  our  grief  to  that  of  his  sorrowing  friends; 
to  add  our  sobs  to  their  sobs,  and  mingle  our  tears  with  theirs. 

I  have  the  honor  to  lay  before  you  a  small  tribute  that  shall  become 
a  part  of  the  permanent  records  of  the  Medical  Department. 

{The  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Medical  Department  are  given  in 
another  part  of  this  memorial.) 


16  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Dr.  Albert  T.  Barrett,  Director  of  Winthrop 
Preparatory  School. 


I\/J  y  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Bass,  extending  through  several  years, 
gradually  ripened  into  friendships  and  at  his  death  there  had 
grown  between  us  an  attachment  so  strong  that  I  esteem  it  a  distinct 
privilege  to  offer  at  this  time  my  humble  tribute  to  his  memory.  As  is 
doubtless  true  of  most  men  of  his  age,  his  strongest  attachments  were 
of  the  past,  and  much  of  his  thinking  was  reminiscent.  Still  he  was 
thoroughly  awake  to  the  present,  and  so  far  as  this  college  is  concerned, 
was  profoundly  interested  in  plans  which  involve  the  future. 

There  was  in  the  character  of  Mr.  Bass  an  element  of  heroism 
which  we  who  have  known  him  well  cannot  overlook.  From  what  he 
has  told  me  it  is  evident  that  he  was  aware  that  death  without  warning 
was  likely  to  occur  to  him  at  any  moment.  That  he,  conscious  of  this 
fact,  could  move  among  us  month  after  month  in  that  genial  spirit  of 
cordiality  which  seemed  to  possess  him;  thinking  of  others  rather  than 
himself,  reveals  to  me  more  than  anything  else  the  poise  and  heroism 
of  his  character.  The  possibility  of  sudden  death  makes  most  men 
grave,  but  to  face  the  practical  certainty  of  death  without  a  moment's 
warning  and  still  show  to  the  world  a  tranquil  mind  and  sympathetic 
nature  requires  courage,  culture  and  self-control  of  the  highest  type. 

Integrity,  and  devotion  to  friends  were  to  me  his  prominent  charac- 
teristics. As  a  consequence  of  his  own  honesty,  he  was  extremely 
intolerant  of  anything  approaching  pretense  on  the  part  of  others. 
His  test  of  merit  was  substantial  worth,  and  all  other  considerations 
were  to  him  matters  of  supreme  indifference. 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  yj 


He  was  a  man  of  strong  sympathies,  and  those  who  were  in  greatest 
need  of  counsel  and  assistance  were  the  ones  who  appealed  to  him 
most.  He  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  helpfulness. 
He  was  what  the  world  most  needs  to-day,  and  what  the  world  mourns 
when  such  a  one  is  gone,  a  tenderhearted,  upright  man. 

His  associations  at  this  college  were  by  him  more  valued  than 
most  of  us  knew.  He  has  said  to  me,  more  than  once,  that  if  he  were 
deprived  of  them  he  believed  he  would  not  live  a  month.  The  zeal 
with  which  he  seemed  to  cling  to  this  environment,  even  when  in 
feeble  health,  was  at  times  pathetic.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  us  to  know 
that  however  much  we  were  attached  to  him,  we  in  turn  contributed 
in  large  measure  to  his  happiness.  Our  affection  for  him  he  deemed 
priceless. 

We  have  laid  in  the  earth  no  man  of  iron  mold,  no  warrior  of 
fame,  but  a  dear  friend  of  tender  spirit,  gentle  in  mien  and  mind,  one 
in  whose  heart  dwelt  the  smile  of  kindness. 

There  is  in  life  no  blessing  like  affection.  Life  has.  naught  else 
that  may  supply  its  place.  Without  it  ambition  is  void,  pride  is  cold, 
and  wealth  an  empty  glitter. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  man  of  strong  affections,  a  man  of  deep  emotion, 
a  man  who  did  not  regard  coldness  as  a  sign  of  strength,  or  making  the 
ways  of  others  difficult  a  proof  of  his  own  superiority.  In  our  hearts 
to-day  are  blooming  flowers  of  affection  such  as  we  have  not  known. 
The  seeds  were  there,  but  the  magic  touch  of  loss  was  needed  to  wake 
them  to  life.  Through  our  grief  there  have  sprung  into  life  loving 
thoughts  that  we  did  not  cherish  when  he,  who  is  now  gone,  was  with 
us.     Love  is  greater  than  death,  survives  it,  and  is  intensified  by  it. 

Though  we  who  remain  shall  miss  the  absent  one,  'the  memory  of 
his  acts  of  kindness,  his  words  of  encouragement,  will  be  an  inspiration 
to  us  to  make  our  lives  more  vital  with  the  spirit  of  helpfulness,  more 
aglow  with  the  warmth  of  human  sympathy. 


18  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERH, 


Professor  S.  M.  D.  Clark,  Principal  of  Montgomery 
Bell  Academy. 


T  T  was  my  privilege  to  be  quite  intimately  acquainted  with  Mr. 
John  M.  Bass,  and  yet,  I  dare  say,  many  of  you  have  been  so 
intimately  associated  with  him  that  what  I  shall  mention  as  traits  wor- 
thy of  notice  will  seem  to  you  very  trite. 

I  first  met  Mr.  Bass  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixties.  Then  I  lost 
sight  of  him,  but  in  1885 ,  when  his  son,  John,  entered  the  Montgomery 
Bell  Academy,  I  saw  Mr.  Bass  quite  frequently.  I  zuas  attracted  by 
the  flora  of  Tennessee,  and  with  his  son  went  into  the  Overton  hills 
in  search  of  some  special  varieties  of  flowers.  I  soon  found  out  that 
Mr.  John  Bass,  Sr.,  was  fond  of  the  country,  fond  of  the  hills  and 
their  wooded  crests  and  slopes,  and  that  he  knew  much  of  forestry, 
and  loved  to  climb  the  Overton  hills  in  search  of  information.  Later, 
I  found  he  ivas  fond  of  fishing,  and  on  one  occasion  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  being  one  of  this  fishing  and  camping  party  of  father  and  son. 
Here  the  true  relationship  of  father  and  son  was  evinced,  and  in  such 
days  as  these  it  was  beautiful  to  see,  as  well  as  encouraging  to  one 
who  ivas  in  the  schoolroom,  trying  to  exert  an  influence  for  good. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  well-poised  man.  Tou  never  saw  him  in  what 
we  might  term  "a  hurry."  He  was  always  self-contained.  He  luas 
always  ready.  He  hastened  slowly,  but  surely.  He  took  no  back- 
ward steps.  He  was  always  courteous  and  polite.  Did  you  ever 
hear  him  use  tart  speech,  or  see  him  rough  in  manner?     I  never  did. 

But  do  not  imagine  from  ivhat  I  have  said  that  he  was  a  negative 
character.     Tou  could  stir  the  ashes  and  soon  discover  there  was  a 


STA8HVILLE,   TEN.NE88EE.  19 


hi  J  Jen  fire  beneath.  How,  then,  do  you  account  for  this  equanimity 
of  spirit,  this  calm  and  courteous  demeanor,  this  self-control,  this 
equipoise?  It  seems  to  me  the  outer  man  was  the  reflex  of  the  inner 
man,  and  the  hidden  main-spring  of  that  inner  man  was  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  Christian  man,  and  as  such  was  striving  to  live  the  true 
Christian  life,  and  the  outer  man  was  simply  a  daily  reflex  of  the 
inner  man  and  his  desires.  How  well  the  inner  man  succeeded,  all 
of  us  know. 


20  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

Dr.  Charles  Edgar  Little. 


T  K ESPO N D  to  your  call,  Mr.  President,  and  take  my  part  in  the 
attempt  of  this  hour  to  pay  fitting  tribute  to  the  worth  of  Mr.  Bass, 
all  the  more  willingly  because  I  have  at  least  one  distinct  impression 
of  him.  I  ivish  to  express  in  sincere  words  and  few  the  phase  of  his 
life  which  came  within  my  knowledge.  Fully  to  portray  any  life 
calls  for  many  points  of  view  and  many  observers.  Many  aspects  of 
Mr.  Bass's  life  will  be  presented  by  other  speakers,  but  I  intend  to 
limit  myself  to  emphasizing  his  integrity.  This  was  a  quality  so 
prominent  in  him  and  is  withal  so  noble  a  human  trait,  that  I  have 
no  apology  to  offer  for  dwelling  upon  it  only. 

Integrity  was  the  keynote  to  Mr.  Bass's  everyday  dealings.  I  am 
speaking  now  of  business  integrity,  but  we  must  of  course  bear  in 
mind  its  connection  with  moral  integrity  in  the  largest  sense,  of  which 
I  shall  speak  presently.  Mr.  Bass  had  large  money  dealings,  both 
in  the  affairs  of  his  ozun  family  and  in  those  of  the  numerous  trust 
funds  committed  to  him.  In  an  age  of  high  finance,  of  frenzied 
money  getting,  of  low  selfishness  and  petty  graft,  it  is  no  small  thing 
to  say  of  a  man  that  he  was  absolutely  untouched  by  any  of  these 
prevalent  infirmities.  I  do  not  care  to  emphasize  the  ability  with 
which  he  managed  these  affairs,  but  rather  the  absolute  cleanness,  the 
almost  knightly  fervor  with  which  he  accounted  even  to  the  uttermost 
farthing  for  all  funds  handled  by  him.  Not  only  in  large  trusts  did 
he  stand  strong  against  any  taint  of  corruption,  but  in  small  dealings 
he  had  the  aristocrat' ' s  scorn  'for  haggling  over  a  few  sorry  pennies, 
which  is  also  the  honest  mans  contempt  for  a  chance  at  wrongful 
gain.  In  personal  transactions  he  was  always  frank.  In  the  face 
of  a  suggested  trick  he  was  strictly,  even  sternly,  honest.  On  more 
than  one  occasion  I  have  known  him  to  turn  fiercely  upon  the  pro- 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  21 


poser  of  some  questionable  business.  And  it  did  not  matter  whether 
the  sum  involved  was  large  or  insignificant,  his  attitude  was  always 
the  same.  Some  misunderstood  his  almost  violent  rectitude  in  these 
small  matters,  but  I  always  honored  him  for  it,  and  I  have  seen  him 
tested  in  it  again  and  again.  Many  regarded  this  trait  in  him  as 
mere  punctilio.  It  was  much  more;  for  it  was  a  constant  phenomenon 
in  his  life  and  must  be  reckoned  a  significant  and  virile  factor  in  his 
character.  It  was  his  nature  to  repel  with  harshness  and  without 
parley  any  suggestion  of  crookedness.  His  personality  came  out  on 
the  same  path  in  his  transactions  as  trustee.  He  remembered  that  he 
was  acting  for  others,  not  for  himself;  he  remembered  that  any  possible 
gain  was  the  property  of  the  trust,  not  his  own.  These  things  seem 
very  easy  to  forget.  To  exploit  trust  funds  for  personal  schemes  now 
appears  to  have  become  almost  the  foundation  axiom  of  finance. 
If  the  love  of  money  be  a  root  of  all  evil  {and  we  have  it  upon  good 
authority,  in  addition  to  the  proof  so  abundant  in  the  life  of  the  present) 
surely  then,  handling  money  honestly  is  no  slight  test  of  a  man's 
probity.  In  this  regard  Mr.  Bass  was  a  financial  Puritan.  All 
honor  to  his  resolute,  unflinching,  heroic  business  integrity! 

Now  this  business  integrity  expands  over  upon  the  domain  of 
moral  integrity  in  the  largest  sense.  The  gradation  carries  us  insen- 
sibly from  one  to  the  other.  Mr.  Bass  knew  this  and  consciously, 
sacredly  held  fast  to  this  pillar  of  character.  He  had  no  schemes  to 
work,  no  fakes  to  exploit,  no  competition  to  ruin,  no  public  to  befool, 
no  constituency  to  gull.  His  attitude  was  always  to  do  the  straight, 
frank  thing,  to  meet  every  issue  on  its  merits,  to  match  fairness  with 
fairness,  to  crush  tricks  with  exposure.  He  hated  shams,  he  loved 
candor.  This  lifts  any  character  into  the  real  presence  of  the  eternal 
verities.  For  integrity  taken  by  and  large  is  the  stout  trellis  of  a 
man's  being.  Upon  it  may  grow  all  the  fruits  and  flowers  of  human 
life.      Without  it  there  is  but  tangled  herbage,  unlit  by  sun,  and  weeds. 


22  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Professor  Harry  P.  Weld. 


]\/T  y    memory  of  Mr.  Bass    will  always  associate    three    traits 
which  to  me  were   characteristic  of  the   man:    his    integrity, 
his  culture,  and  his  sympathetic  kindness. 

Of  his  integrity  I  shall  say  little,  though  it  was  undoubtedly  the 
dominant  trait  of  his  life.  A  man,  himself  possessed  of  an  unswerving 
sense  of  honesty,  he  demanded  a  similar  justice  and  fair  dealing  from 
others.  Not  only  was  he  of  absolute  integrity  in  large  matters,  but  he 
exhibited  the  same  traits  in  his  smallest  transactions.  He  was  as 
conscientious  in  his  use  of  college  stationery  and  postage  as  in  the 
care  of  the  college  funds  which  were  intrusted  to  him.  He  was  never 
satisfied  with  the  letter  of  the  law,  nor  would  he  excuse  an  unfairness 
in  himself  or  others  on  the  plea  of  customary  practice.  There  was  no 
equivocation  about  him,  no  parleying  with  questionable  acts,  only  a 
straightforward  and  consistent  honesty  in  all  things  and  towards  all 
men. 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  meet  a  man  of  engrossing  business  cares 
who  has  found  time  to  keep  up  his  general  culture.  Such  a  man  was 
Mr.  Bass.  His  reading  was  extensive  and  varied.  A  recognized 
authority  in  history,  especially  in  that  of  his  own  State,  he  ivas  also 
conversant  with  fiction,  memoirs  and  letters,  and  often  quoted  forgotten 
or  unknown  authors.  Only  a  few  weeks  before  his  death  he  found  a 
nevu  interest  in  Ivanhoe,  and  at  all  times  delighted  in  such  books  as 
Inglewood  Farm  (to  which  he  sometimes  referred),  because  of  his  own 
love  of  the  flowers,  the  trees,  the  garden  and  all  out  of  doors.  He  loved 
music;  especially  was  he  fond  of  the  Italian  opera.  His  favorite 
instrument  was  the  violin,  though  he  appreciated  and  enjoyed  a  good 


XA8H VILLI],   TENNESSEE.  23 


voice.  Often  would  he  come  to  me  whistling  a  scrap  of  melody  which 
he  could  not  locate. 

Thus,  he  delved  into  an  inconceivable  number  and  variety  of 
subjects,  finding  in  life,  wherever  he  touched  it,  a  source  of  interest 
and  instruction,  all  of  which  reacted  upon  him  and  made  of  him  a 
man  of  wide  culture  and  fine  appreciation. 

As  to  his  kind  heart,  words  fail  where  their  need  is  greatest. 
Personally,  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  many  gracious  favors,  kind- 
nesses which  I  could  never  hope  to  repay.  His  deeds  were  so  modestly 
conceived  and  so  delicately  wrought  that  the  world  will  never  know 
how  many  persons  he  has  touched  in  his  considerate  and  tactful  way. 
Surely  he  was  a  man  of  loving  kindness  and  tender  mercy. 

So  will  we  remember  Mr.  Bass,  in  whose  integrity  we  felt  secure, 
in  whose  personality  we  found  a  continued  pleasure,  in  whose  kind- 
ness of  heart  a  silent  sympathy.  It  was  for  these  things  we  trusted 
him,  honored  him;   for  these  things  we  loved  htm. 


24  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Rev.  P.  Y.  Pendleton. 


T/fy^E  have  listened  to  our  speakers  present  the  excellencies  of  Mr. 
Bass  the  man;  but  it  is  my  unique  privilege,  fellow-students, 
to  present  him  to  you  as  of  your  own  age — as  a  college  student — for 
it  was  as  such  that  I  met  him  at  the  threshold  of  my  life,  in  the  early 
sixties,  and  as  such  that  his  memory  was  held  up  before  me  during  all 
my  childhood  and  youth. 

As  the  accommodations  at  Bethany  were  very  limited,  the  dormitory 
being  inadequate,  my  father  found  it  necessary  to  take  many  of  the 
boys  under  his  own  roof,  and  so  it  came  about  that  for  a  year  or  so 
Mr.  Bass  dwelt  among  us  as  part  of  the  household,  and  his  memory 
became  an  abiding  presence  there  in  all  after  years. 

His  deeds  and  ways  were  quoted  to  me  by  my  parents  as  I  grew 
to  manhood,  and  became  themes  and  examples  for  my  guidance  and 
instruction;  and  I  wish  to  bear  testimony  this  day  that  the  boy  was 
father  to  the  man.  Each  incident  to  which  you  have  listened  has  set 
the  chords  of  memory  vibrating,  and  everyone  of  them  could  be  paral- 
leled by  excerpts  from  the  reminiscences  of  those  early  days.  The 
narratives  to  which  I  have  listened  sound  through  my  soul  like  echoes 
of  voices  long  silent,  and  waken  to  resurrection  and  to  life  scenes  and 
impressions  which  are  like  forgotten  dead.  It  dawns  upon  me  with 
the  force  of  a  revelation  that  the  student  of  Bethany  zuas  the  youthful 
epitome  of  this  fully  developed  father  to  the  students  of  this  institution, 
and  I  wish  therefore  to  bring  home  to  them  the  helpful  lesson  that  the 
character  of  to-morrow  must  spring  from  the  seeds  of  to-day.  If,  like 
our  sainted  dead,  you  would  be  punctual,  upright,  honest,  sensitive  to 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  25 


evil,  an  inspiration  to  goodness,  self-poised  and  knightly,  begin  the 
practice  of  these  virtues  now,  and  some  day  your  memory  may  also  be 
honored,  as  is  that  of  our  friend  on  this  occasion. 

His  was  a  rounded,  full-orbed  Christian  character,  such  as  makes 
it  easy  to  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  a  future  life;  for  such  spirits  live 
ever  in  their  influence  and  memory,  and  were  not  born  to  die. 


Resolutions 


Adopted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
University  of  Nashville. 


ATE  in  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday,  November  nth,  at 
Union  Station  in  the  city  of  Nashville,  while  waiting  to 
take  the  train  for  his  home,  John  M.  Bass,  one  of  the  Trustees 
of  the  University  of  Nashville,  Secretary  of  the  Board,  and 
also  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Peabody  College  for 
Teachers,  suffered  a  severe  paralytic  stroke.  He  was  tenderly 
removed  to  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Whitefoord  R. 
Cole,  where,  shortly  after  twelve  o'clock  on  Thursday,  Novem- 
ber 19th,  death  came  to  relieve  him  of  his  suffering.  His 
funeral  was  attended  by  a  representative  gathering  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Nashville  who,  in  this  quiet  way,  testified  their  sorrow 
at  his  departure,  and  also  their  appreciation  of  him  as  a  man 
of  the  highest  integrity,  a  citizen  of  very  pronounced  worth. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  grandson  of  Felix  Grundy,  one  of  the  greatest 
lawyers  the  State  of  Tennessee  ever  had.  He  was  the  son  of 
John  M.  Bass,  Sr.,  a  well  remembered  citizen  of  Nashville,  who 
so  held  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  that  on  a  memorable 
occasion  they,  with  one  accord,  recommended  him  to  the  Pre- 
siding Chancellor  as  a  fit  person  to  be  appointed  Receiver  of  the 
city.  He  accepted  the  office,  and,  acting  in  conjunction  with 
his  honored  associates,  rescued  the  city  from  the  peril  into  which 
it  had  been  thrown  by  those  who  had  obtained  control,  but  who 


30         PEABODY    COLLEGE    FOR    TEACHERS. 

were  not  truly  identified  with  the  best  interests  of  the  city. 
The  same  regard  for  his  fellow  citizens  possessed  by  the 
father,  and  manifested  by  a  constant,  exercised  desire  to  serve 
them  in  many  important  ways,  was  a  marked  characteristic  of 
the  son,"  whose  death  all  classes  how  deplore. 

Mr.  Bass  is  survived  by  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  another  hon- 
ored citizen,  the  late  Dr.  W.  W.  Berry,  and  also  by  his  son, 
Dr.  John  M.  Bass,  and  his  two  daughters,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Cole,  of 
Nashville,  and  Mrs.  James  Allison,  of  St.  Louis.  Happily,  they 
were  all  at  his  bedside,  to  bid  him  a  fond  farewell. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  of  Nashville. 
He  was  not  only  a  professed,  but  a  real  Christian,  as  those  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  him  can.  very  truly  testify. 

His  fellow  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Nashville  are  unwill- 
ing to  have  so  valuable  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  who 
gave  such  zealous,  faithful  service  to  the  institutions  which  he 
served,  pass  into  the  Beyond  without  making  some  record  of 
the  esteem  in  which  they  held  him. 

Be  it  therefore  resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  John  M.  Bass, 
the  University  of  Nashville  and  the  Peabody  College  for 
Teachers  lose  a  faithful  officer,  an  earnest  friend  to  every  high 
purpose  cherished  by  these  two  institutions. 

Be  it  further  resolved,  That  his  fellow  Trustees,  whose  labors, 
his  ability  and  fidelity  so  much  lightened,  sincerely  mourn,  in 
his  death,  the  departure  of  a  true  gentleman,  a  faithful  fellow 
worker  in  a  great  cause  to  which  he,  especially,  gave  the  fullest 
years  of  a  well  spent  life. 


\  ASH  YILLE,   TEN  NESS  E  E .  31 

Be  it  further  resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be 
furnished  to  his  beloved  wife  and  children. 

Be  it  furl  her  resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon 
the  minutes  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  of 
Nashville,  as  a  recorded  testimonial  of  the  regard  in  which  Mr. 
Bass  was  held  by  his  official  associates  who  were  also  his  inti- 
mate friends. 

Robert  Ewing, 
Overton  Lea, 
C.  D.  Berry, 
Committee,  and  the  Schoolmates  of  his  Youth. 

James  D.  Porter, 

Chancellor. 
H.  M.  Doak, 
Edgar  Jones, 
Mark  S.  Cockrill, 
John  M.  Thompson, 
G.  H.  Baskette, 
R.  L.  C.  White, 
M.  B.  Howell, 
G.  P.  Thruston, 
G.  N.  Tillman, 
J.  W.  Bonner, 
J.  M.  Gaut, 

Trustees. 


32  PEA  BODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Adopted  by  the  Faculty  of  Peabody  College  for  Teachers. 


'T*HE  members  of  the  Faculty  of  Peabody  College  for 
A  Teachers,  University  of  Nashville,  desire  to  express  their 
deep  sorrow  at  the  death  of  John  M.  Bass,  to  whose  whole- 
souled  devotion,  both  as  Trustee  and  Secretary,  this  institution 
owes  much. 

His  deep  interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  College,  the 
nobility  of  his  character,  the  geniality  of  his  disposition,  and  his 
uniform  courtesy  won  for  him  the  esteem  and  affectionate 
regard' of  both  teachers  and  students.  In  -his  death  the  College 
has  lost  a  true  and  zealous  friend. 

We  extend  our  special  sympathy  to  the  members  of  his 
family. 

Signed : 

J.  I.  D.  Hinds, 
J.  B.  Wharey, 

C.  E.  Little, 
E.W.Kennedy,)  Committee. 

D.  S.  Hill, 
Josiah  Morse, 
J.  S.  Caldwell, 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  33 


Adopted  by  the  Faculty  of  the  Medical  Department. 


TTTHEREAS,  By  the  will  of  God,  our  friend,  John  M.  Bass, 
*  has  been  permitted  to  lay  down  the  burden  he  has  so 
nobly  borne  to  the  honor  of  the  educational  interests  of  the 
South  in  general,  and  of  this  University  in  particular,  and  being- 
mindful  of  his  wise  counsel  and  influence,  exerted  always  for 
the  best  interests  of  the  Medical  Department, 

Be  it  resolved,  That  the  Faculty  of  this  Department  deeply 
feel  our  loss  in  this  hour; 

Be  it  resolved,  That  we  extend  to  his  bereaved  family  our 
sympathy  in  their  great  sorrow ; 

Be  it  further  resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon 
the  permanent  records  of  this  Department  of  the  University, 
and  a  copy  be  sent  to  the  Press  of  this  city. 
Signed  by  the  Committee : 

S.  S.  Crockett, 
M.  C.  McGannon, 
L.  B.  Graddy, 
James  M.  King. 


34  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Adopted  by  the  Faculty  and  Students  of  Montgomery 
Bell  Academy. 


npHE  Faculty  and  student  body  of  Montgomery  Bell 
A  Academy  having  heard  with  deep  sorrow  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  John  M.  Bass,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Nashville,  and  ex  officio 
member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Montgomery  Bell  Academy, 
desire  to  put  on  record  their  appreciation  of  his  merits,  and  the 
value  of  his  services.  His  courteous  and  affable  manner 
stamped  him  as  a  type  of  the  "Old  School."  His  pleasant 
smile  and  warm  greeting  were  incentives  to  both  teacher  and 
pupil.  His  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  all  his  duties  is  an 
example  worthy  of  imitation.  His  love  for  his  State  and  her 
history  commends  itself  to  all,  and  is  worthy  of  emulation. 
His  family  relations  commend  him  to  all.      Therefore, 

Resolved,  That  in  his  death  his  family  has  lost  a  devoted 
husband  and  father ;  the  community  a  man  of  sterling  worth ; 
education  a  staunch  supporter ;  the  Board  of  Trustees  a  worthy 
member,  and  an  efficient  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  and  this 
institution  a  valued  friend  and  supporter. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes, 
and  a  copy  of  the  same  be  sent  to  his  family. 

S.  M.  D.  Clark,  Principal. 
A.  S.  Dale,  Secretary. 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  35 

UBRAKY 


Adopted  by  the  Students  of  Peabody  College. 


I N  the  death  of  Mr.  Bass  we,  the  students  of  Peabody  College, 
realize  that  we  sustain  an  irreparable  loss,  and  that  we  are 
deprived  of  a  paternal  friend  and  counsellor. 

Inasmuch  as  the  loss  of  his  kindly  care  and  counsel  is  deeply 
felt  by  us,  we  desire  in  this  way  to  express  our  grief  at  his  death 
and  our  sincere  gratitude  for  his  untiring  interests  and  efforts 
in  our  behalf.  We  furthermore  desire  to  extend  our  heartfelt 
sympathy  to  his  relatives  and  friends,  and  to  have  this  expres- 
sion from  us  read  at  his  memorial  service  held  in  Peabody 
Chapel,  and  later  to  have  it  placed  in  the  Bulletin  issued  to 
his  memory. 

Roy  McKenzie, 
C.  O.  Bailey, 
J.  L.  Moore, 
Orben  Harris, 
Edith  McMillan, 
Lucy  Scare-rough, 

Committee. 


36  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


Adopted  by  the  Faculty  of  Watkins  Institute  Night  School. 


\\T  HEREAS,  Our  Father  in  heaven,  in  his  infinite  wisdom, 
called  the  spirit  of  Mr.  John  M.  Bass  from  earth  to 
occupy  the  mansion  our  Saviour  has  prepared  for  him;  and, 

Whereas,,  Inasmuch  as  Mr.  John  M.  Bass  was  one  of  the. 
Commissioners  and  Chairman  of  the  Board,  and  has  for  the 
past  several  years  been  very  ambitious  for  the  success  of  the 
Watkins  Institute  Night  School,  and  has  always  encouraged 
and  by  kind  words  strengthened  the  Faculty  and  buoyed  the 
pupils ;   and, 

Whereas,  Our  souls  are  grieved,  our  spirits  are  drooping, 
and  our  hearts  are  filled  with  sorrow  over  the  execution  of  the 
divine  law  which  has  taken  him  away  from  us; 

Therefore,  while  "the  silver  chord  has  been  loosed,  the 
golden  bowl  has  been  broken,  and  silent  mourners  go  about  the 
streets,"  we  commend  his  spirit  to  God  who  gave  it ;  we  mourn 
not  as  those  without  hope,  but  with  the  perfect  assurance  that 
we  will  meet  him  over  there. 

Be  it  resolved,  That  the  Watkins  Institute  has  lost  a  valuable 
counselor,  a  noble,  just  and  true  friend,  and  the  Faculty  a 
beloved  vicegerent. 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE.  37 

Be  it  resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  furnished  the  Press 
of  the  city,  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  Watkins  Institute, 
and  a  copy  furnished  the  bereaved  family. 

Alexander  Fall, 
Superintendent  of  School. 

Jos.  S.  Carels, 
Superintendent  of  Watkins  Institute. 

Miss  F.  G.  Porter, 
Mrs.  L.  T.  Davis, 
Mrs.  A.  J.  C  a  vert, 
Mr.  R.  L.  Benton, 
Mr.  J.  S.  Johnson, 
Mrs.  C.  J.  Metz, 
Mrs.  Alex.  Fall, 
Mrs.  W.  S.  Hill, 
Mr.  J.  H.  McNeilly. 


Crtbtttes 


1  ributes, 


IN  the  death  of  Mr.  John  M.  Bass,  Peabody  College  has  lost 
a  true  and  loyal  friend,  one  who  will  be  sorely  missed ;  for 
the  welfare  of  this  institution  was  dearer  to  him  than  all  other 
interests.      It  surmounted  and  crowned  them  all. 

Mr.  Bass  possessed  a  versatile  mind,  high  ideals,  and  many 
sterling,  practical  business  qualities  which  contributed  largely 
to  the  success  of  the  institution  since  his  connection  with  it. 

A  man  of  means,  he  might  have  spent  his  life  in  quiet  ease, 
but  work  was  to  him  a  rich  source  of  happiness,  and  he  devoted 
himself  heart  and  soul  to  the  advancement  and  success  of  the 
college  as  well  as  the  uplifting  of  the  community  at  large. 

He  was  kind,  tender  and  sympathetic,  and  always  ready  to 
minister  to  the  wants  of  the  students,  especially  if  needed  to 
soothe  sorrow,  or  assuage  grief,  or  relieve  illness.  His  jaunts 
to  the  country  every  Spring,  with  the  Freshman  Class  as  his 
guests,  until  frail  health  broke  in  upon  his  pleasure,  are  indica- 
tive of  his  generous,  hospitable  nature  as  well  as  his  love  for 
young  people.  He  was  always  cheerful,  and  fond  of  telling 
jokes,  of  which  he  had  a  large  stock  on  hand. 

He  was  particularly  noted  for  economy  in  managing  the 
finances  of  the  College,  and  was  a  model  of  industry,  integrity, 
loyalty,  and  devotion  to  a  cause.  The  promised  reward  of 
"well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,"  must  surely  be 


42  PEABODY   COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 


his.  He  has  gone  "through  labor  to  rest,"  through  combat  to 
victory.  Such  a  life  becomes  a  fountain  of  inspiration,  and 
the  current  that  flows  from  it  brings  refreshment  to  the  souls 
of  thousands. 

Lizzie  L.  Bloomstein. 


jV/TR.  JOHN  M.  BASS  and  I  came  into  service  at  the 
Peabody  College  for  Teachers  in  1899.  From  that 
time  until  the  time  of  his  death  our  duties  brought  us  frequently 
together.  Our  acquaintance  grew  into  such  cordial  and 
pleasant  relations  that  I  feel  in  a  measure  qualified  to  pay  a 
tribute  of  respect  to  his  life  and  character. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  good  citizen  and  a  valuable  member  of 
society.  His  kindly  disposition  and  his  pleasing  manner  won 
for  him  many  friends.  In  his  long  service  at  the  college  he 
displayed  a  zeal  and  a  devotion  to  its  interests  which  will  long- 
be  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  In  his  relation  to  the  stu- 
dents he  had  many  opportunities  to  befriend  them.  He  was 
not  unmindful  of  those  who  were  less  fortunate  than  himself. 
He  ministered  to  the  sick  and  was  generous  to  the  poor. 

"Think  truly,  and  thy  thought 

Shall  the  world's  great  famine  feed ; 

Speak  truly,  and  each  word  of  thine 
Shall  be  a  fruitful  seed; 

Live  truly,  and  thy  life  shall  be 
A  grand  and  noble  creed." 


bJ 


Edwin  Wexler  Kennedy. 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  43 

/TSHE  passing  away  of  our  esteemed  Secretary,  Mr.  John  M. 
Bass,  is  a  grievous  loss  to  the  College,  Faculty,  and 
students.  Personally,  I  feel  I  have  lost  a  kind  friend,  and  shall 
most  sincerely  and  deeply  miss  his  ever-cheerful  and  pleasant 
presence  in  chapel  and  in  his  office.  I  extend  my  heartfelt 
sympathy  to  his  bereaved  family. 

Minnie  Gattinger. 


/^\XE  trait  of  Mr.  Bass's  character,  which  perhaps  few  con- 
nected with  the  college  had  an  opportunity  of  observing, 
was  his  tenderness  toward  children.  Not  only  was  he  devoted 
to  the  highest  interests  of  the  Model  School  so  long  as  it 
existed,  but  he  was  the  kind,  cordial  friend  of  the  children,  and 
they  realized  it.  He  felt  a  genuine  interest  in  their  pleasures 
and  happy  diversions  as  well  as  in  the  more  serious  aspects  of 
their  education.  I  have  seen  this  manifested  many  times,  both 
to  the  children  in  a  body,  and  to  individuals.  His  own  heart 
never  lost  its  youth.  Perhaps  this  was  one  secret  of  the  rare 
gift  which  he  possessed  of  being  able  to  look  sympathetically 
upon  the  characteristic  foibles  of  young  people  as  well  as  upon 
their  worthy  efforts  and  ambitions.  This,  coupled  with  his 
intense  belief  in  the  potentialities  of  childhood,  won  for  him 
unsought  their  confidence  and  affection. 

Mary  P.  Jones. 


44  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 


A   MONG   Mr.    Bass's   prominent   characteristics    were   his 

geniality,  wholesome  humor  and  heroic  cheerfulness;  his 

genuineness,  his  broad  and  keen  sympathies.     On  all  occasions 

he  was  ready  to  lend  a  hand  with  unusual  good  judgment. 

Many  of  us  will  always  remember  with  deep  gratitude  the 

helpfulness    of    the    kind-hearted,    clear-headed,    courteous 

gentleman. 

Caroline  Carpenter. 


TX  7"  HAT  a  man  loves  and  what  a  man  would  like  to  do  often 
discloses  real  character  more  truly  than  what  he  actu- 
ally does.  It  has  been  said  that  Mr.  Bass  loved  the  field  and 
the  forest  and  the  science  of  Botany.  It  is  equally  true  that 
he  loved  the  rocks  and  the  hills  and  science  of  Geology.  The 
charm  of  the  topography  of  Middle  Tennessee  appealed  to  him, 
and  nothing  was  to  him  more  refreshing  and  helpful  than  an 
outing  over  hill  and  dale.  His  eye  was  quick  to  see  the  inter- 
esting thing,  the  unusual  thing,  and  his  returns  from  the 
country  were  usually  marked  by  a  contribution  to  our 
collections. 

Mr.  Bass  appreciated  the  work  of  the  famous  Gerard  Troost, 
our  first  State  Geologist;  and  he  felt  keenly  the  misfortune 
experienced  by  this  College  and  by  the  State  of  Tennessee  in 
the  loss  of  the  priceless  collections  made  by  that  great  man. 
It  was,  therefore,  his  ardent  desire  to  make  good  in  some 
measure    the    losses    thus    sustained.       Nothing   would    have 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  45 

pleased  him  more  than  the  erection  on  these  grounds  of  an 
adequate  building,  known  as  Troost  Hall, — a  building  which 
should  be  a  museum  of  natural  history,  equipped  with  rare 
collections  of  minerals,  fossils,  and  objects  of  ethnological 
interest. 

He  lost  no  opportunity  to  add  to  our  collections.  He  secured 
for  this  College  on  two  different  occasions  large  contributions 
of  ores  and  minerals  which  had  been  gathered  at  the  State 
Capitol  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  Only  a  few  days 
before  his  death  he  brought  in  some  unusually  perfect  fossils 
found  near  his  home.  His  sympathetic  interest  and  helpfulness 
in  this  department  will  be  missed. 

P.  H.  Manning. 


F  N  common  with  every  individual  who  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Peabody  College  community  during  Mr.  Bass's 
connection  with  it,  I  deeply  deplore  his  death  and  feel  keenly 
his  ioss.  Mr.  Bass  had  been  a  zealous,  painstaking  officer  of 
the  institution  for  many  years,  a  sharer  in  its  traditions,  a 
believer  in  its  future  greatness. 

His  diligence  in  his  official  capacity  was  natural  in  a  man  of 
his  character.  Whatever  position  he  assumed,  he  fulfilled  its 
obligations  with  unswerving  fidelity.  But  his  devotion  to  our 
institution  did  not  arise  merely  from  a  natural  bent  to  perform 
faithfully  every  duty.  He  loved  the  University  of  Nashville. 
He  was  familiar  with  its  history,  the  long  line  of  illustrious 


46  PEABODY   COLLEGE    FOR    TEACHERS. 

alumni  whose  careers  had  made  it  famous,  and  he  gloried  in  all 
its  noble  traditions.  And  besides,  the  Peabody  College  of 
to-day  was  to  him  a  worthy  institution  in  which  he  took  a 
genuine  pride.  He  had  faith,  too,  in  its  future,  and  out  of 
this  faith  came  a  purpose  and  a  determination  to  advance  its 
every  interest.  In  him  the  College  had  not  only  a  competent 
official,  but  a  real  friend,  whose  loyalty  was  evinced  in  number- 
less ways. 

In  his  official  relations  he  exhibited  such  fatherly  interest  in 
the  student,  such  sympathetic  spirit  toward  the  instructors,  and 
such  uniform  courtesy  to  all,  that  it  is  no  wonder  there  was 
felt  for  him  a  sincere  affection  and  esteem. 

His  cordial,  gentlemanly  bearing,  the  geniality  of  his  spirit, 
his  large  sense  of  humor,  the  breadth  of  his  culture,  made  him 
a  most  companionable  man,  with  whom  it  was  a  delightful 
privilege  to  associate. 

His  was  a  noble  soul.  I  never  knew  a  man  who  had  greater 
contempt  for  things  small  or  mean,  and  the  contemplation 
or  suggestion  of  such  aroused  in  him  an  indignation  and  scorn 
which  showed,  as  nothing  else  did,  the  strong,  positive  side  of 
his  character. 

Altruistic  motives  dominated  his  life.  He  believed  that  a 
man  owed  something  to  his  community  and  to  his  generation 
besides  that  for  which  he  received  material  compensation.  As 
an  evidence  of  this,  he  held  many  places  of  trust  that  carried 
with  them  arduous  duties,  but  no  pecuniary  emolument.  And 
in  all  these  trusts  he  was  as  faithful,  as  zealous,  as. careful,  as 
if  they  had  been  his  own  private  affairs. 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  47 

How  faithful  he  was  to  every  duty,  how  reliable  and  true  in 
every  emergency,  how  absolutely  honest,  how  heroic  in  the 
face  of  a  sure  and  sudden  taking  off,  how  loyal  he  was  to  our 
College,  how  solicitous  of  the  students,  jealous  of  their  good 
name,  desirous  of  their  success, — all  these  things  have  been 
told  and  well  told  by  others  who  have  contributed  to  this 
memorial,  and  need  not  be  dwelt  upon  further  here. 

Mr.  Bass  wrought  well  during  his  life.  He  made  a  place 
in  the  hearts  of  a  great  many  people.  He  served  his  day  and 
generation ;  up  to  the  very  last  he  gave  of  his  best.  Could 
more  be  expected  of  any  man  ? 

J.  W.  Brister. 


'  I  AWO  traits  of  the  character  of  Mr.  Bass  evidenced  them- 
selves continually  and  prominently  throughout  my  asso- 
ciation with  him,  and  will  stand  out  permanently  in  strong  relief 
in  all  my  memories  of  the  man.  These  were  his  unfaltering 
devotion  to  duty  and  his  unvarying  kindliness.  Both  are  by  no 
means  common  qualities,  yet  both  were  possessed  by  him  in 
such  degree  as  to  make  them  his  distinguishing  characteristics. 
Shortly  after  the  beginning  of  my  acquaintance  with  him, 
Mr.  Bass  began  to  experience  indications  of  the  presence  of 
the  disease  which  was  later  to  terminate  his  life,  and  was 
advised  by  his  physicians  that  he  could  not  continue  active  work 
without  great  danger  to  himself.  At  a  consultation  a  few 
months  later,  he  was  told  that  his  condition  was  such  as  to 


48  PEABODY   COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

imperatively  demand  immediate  discontinuance  of  his  duties 
as  Secretary  of  the  College.  On  the  following  day  Mr.  Bass 
repeated  to  me  the  verdict  of  his  physicians,  adding  that  he 
proposed  to  relieve  himself  of  the  burden  of  his  own  personal 
business  at  once,  but  that  he  would  discontinue  his  work  as 
Secretary  of  the  College  only  when  physical  disability  com- 
pelled him  to  do  so.  He  knew  that  his  condition  was  serious, 
but  he  felt  that  to  abandon  his  duties  would  be  to  lose  an 
opportunity  for  usefulness  to  the  institution,  and  he  unhesitat- 
ingly placed  the  good  of  the  College  before  all  personal  con- 
siderations. 

I  think  we  cannot  too  often  or  too  strongly  emphasize  the 
fact  that  for  the  past  four  years  Mr.  Bass  daily  devoted  all  his 
time  and  strength  to  the  duties  of  his  office,  often  at  the  cost  of 
very  great  physical  discomfort,  in  the  full  knowledge  that  his 
span  of  life  was  being  materially  shortened  thereby,  and  that 
death  might  come  at  any  moment.  That  only  his  intimates 
knew  his  condition,  and  that  they  saw  in  him  no  indication  of 
morbid  brooding  and  heard  no  word  of  complaint,  is  conclusive 
proof  that  there  was  much  of  the  heroic  in  the  fibre  of  which  he 
was  made. 

I  have  said  that  an  unvarying  kindliness  was  his  distinguish- 
ing characteristic.  There  was  in  him  nothing  of  that  superficial 
and  spurious  cordiality  which  is  assumed  by  those  who  desire 
to  be  considered  "good  fellows"  by  their  associates.  There  was 
in  him  nothing  counterfeit,  nothing  insincere.  Nor  was  his 
nature  of  that  type  which  maintains  what  may  be  termed 
passive  friendships.      Those  whom  he  considered  worthy  of 


NASHVILLE.   TENNESSEE.  49 

his  esteem  had  in  him  not  merely  a  congenial  friend ;  they  found 
a  sympathetic  and  tolerant  nature  which  found  its  most  genuine 
joy  in  unostentatious  service.  No  higher  word  of  praise  may 
be  said  of  any  life  than  that  it  was  spent  in  service. 

Joseph  S.  Caldwell. 


[  T  is  very  difficult,  under  circumstances  such  as  the  present, 
to  reflect  upon  the  character  of  a  friend  who  has  gone,  and 
discover  those  qualities  which  have  won  our  honor  and  love. 
The  absolute  integrity  of  Mr.  Bass  has  been  justly  spoken  of  as 
perhaps  his  most  pronounced  characteristic;  and  yet  integrity 
alone  may  make  but  a  cold  man  and  a  poor  friend.  To  it  there 
must  be  added  a  genial  heart-warmth  and  a  friendly  attitude 
of  mind,  if  the  character  is  to  be  complete. 

And  it  is  this  quality  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Bass,  which  will  leave 
the  deepest  impress  upon  my  memory.  His  optimism,  his 
agreeable  manner,  his  genuineness,  made  him  a  friend  who 
invited  one's  utmost  confidence;  while  his  love  of  humor 
marked  him  as  of  that  human  sort  to  which  the  whole  world 
is  so  strongly  drawn. 

These  were  the  things  that  endeared  him  to  us  all,  and  to 
these  qualities  I  wish  here  to  pay  a  last  poor  tribute. 

Eugene  Tavenner. 


50  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

pEABODY  COLLEGE  has  sustained,  in  the  death  of  Mr. 
Bass,  one  of  the  greatest  losses  in  its  history.  Mr.  Bass's 
value  to  the  College  was  beyond  estimate.  He  loved  the  College 
and  devoted  his  life  to  its  interest,  and  his  great  business  ability 
made  his  services  of  inestimable  worth  to  the  institution.  But 
it  is  as  a  friend  that  we  shall  miss  him  most.  He  was  loved  by 
every  member  of  the  Faculty  and  by  the  whole  student  body.  I 
know  of  no  other  example  where  a  business  official  of  a  college 
was  so  highly  respected  and  generally  loved  by  every  member 
and  friend  of  the  institution. 

Frank  F.  Frantz. 


HAD  the  privilege  of  knowing  Mr.  Bass  a  little  over  two 
years.  While  my  intercourse  with  him  during  that  time 
was  never  such  as  to  bring  me  into  very  close,  personal  touch 
with  him,  I  was  nevertheless  thrown  with  him  enough  to  learn 
to  appreciate  something,  at  least,  of  his  genuine  worth.  The 
traits  of  his  character  that  left  the  strongest  impression  upon 
me  were  his  courtesy,  his  sincerity,  his  kindness  of  heart.  The 
grand  old  name  of  "gentleman"  he  bore  without  abuse.  One 
needed  not  to  be  told  that  through  his  veins  there  coursed  the 
blood  of  a  noble  ancestry;  his  every  word  and  act  showed  it. 
He  seemed  utterly  devoid  of  anything  approaching  duplicity. 
In  talking  with  him,  one  soon  discovered  that  here  was  a  man 
whose  words  and  actions  were  a  real  index  of  his  character; 


NASHVILLE.  TENNESSEE.  51 

that  what  he  said  he  believed,  and  what  he  did  he  felt.  It  was, 
however,  the  kindliness  of  his  disposition  that  impressed  me 
most.  His  acts  of  kindness  were  done  in  a  simple,  unostenta- 
tious way,  as  though  apparently  the  only  thing  to  be  done.  And 
so  they  were  for  him,  for  it  was  his  nature  to  be  thoughtful  and 
considerate  of  others.  Peabody  College  has  suffered  no  small 
loss  in  the  death  of  a  man  like  John  M.  Bass,  in  whom  were 
exemplified  those  traits  that  seemingly  characterized  our  South- 
land of  a  generation  ago  more  markedly  than  they  do  to-day, — 
unfailing  courtesy,  'unquestioned  sincerity,  kindness  in  which 
there  was  no  ostentation  and  no  pride. 

James  B.  Wharey. 


BECAME  acquainted  with  Mr.  John  M.  Bass  during  the 
summer  of  1907,  upon  my  entrance  into  the  Faculty  of 
Peabody  College.  He  at  once  impressed  me  as  a  gentleman — 
a  courteous  gentleman  of  the  old  Southern  school — and  this 
impression  was  verified  when  our  acquaintance  ripened  through 
business  intercourse  into  friendship.  Every  day,  serious  con- 
tracts involving  mutual  confidence,  and  even  partnerships  for 
life,  are  based  upon  contact  less  frequent  and  less  prolonged 
than  ours  was.  Our  intercourse  was  only  occasional,  and  I 
did  not  know  him  very  long,  but  long  enough  to  be  positive 
now  in  my  estimate  of  his  manhood. 

A  man  often  may  be  gauged  best  by  the  verdict  of  those 
about  him  engaged  in  menial  occupation.      In  the  quiet  of  my 


52  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 

laboratory  workshop  1  sometimes  enjoy  the  confidence  of  Felix, 
the  colored  janitor  and  man  of  all  work.  More  than  once, 
since  the  fatal  stroke,  Felix  remarked  to  me  in  simple  language 
and  subdued  voice :  "Mr.  Bass  zvas  a  good  man,  a  square  man. 
Mr.  Bass  zvas  my  good  friend."  Instead  of  fulsome  eulogy 
in  behalf  of  one  who  needs  it  not,  I  am  content  thus  to  quote 
and  to  endorse  the  sincere  sentiment  uttered  by  this  humble 
man. 

David  Spence  Hill. 


A  LTHOUGH  my  relations  with  Mr.  Bass  were  chiefly  of  a 
business  nature,  his  uniform  courtesy  caused  me  to  think 
of  him  as  a  personal  friend  rather  than  as  a  business  official  of 
the  University.  Upon  my  arrival  in  Nashville  for  the  first  time, 
he  was  very  solicitous  for  my  becoming  comfortably  established 
in  the  city.  The  kindness  then  manifested  I  soon  found  .to  be 
a  permanent  trait  of  his  character.  I  have  appreciated  deeply 
such  measure  of  his  friendship  as  I  have  been  permitted  to 
enjoy,  and  feel  a  keen  sense  of  personal  loss  at  his  death. 

Edward  I.  Filbey. 


TT  was  at  a  class  banquet  held  in  Ewing  Gymnasium  in  May, 

1 89 1,  the  year  I  left  Peabody  College,  that  I  first  saw  Mr. 

Bass.     As  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University 

of  Nashville,  Mr.  Bass  responded  briefly  to  a  toast.      I  was 


NASHVILLE.   TENNESSEE.  53 

impressed  with  his  strong  personality,  his  sincerity,  and  his 
seeming  devotion  to  Peabody  College.  After  the  lapse  of 
many  years,  a  letter  came  to  me  from  the  College,  signed  by 
John  M.  Bass,  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  I  at  once  recalled 
the  class  banquet,  and  regarded  my  alma  mater  as  fortunate  in 
having  the  services  of  such  a  man  in  that  capacity.  Some 
weeks  later,  September  26,  1907,  a  few  days  before  I  was  to 
assume  duties  as  a  member  of  the  Faculty,  I  came  to  Nashville, 
and  next  morning  went  to  the  Secretary's  office.  Mr.  Bass 
greeted  me  in  his  clever,  cordial  manner,  and  I  at  once  was 
made  to  feel  at  home.  The  Secretary  had  favorably  impressed 
me  a  second  time.  My  association  and  relations  with  him  since 
have  only  served  to  heighten  my  earlier  impressions. 

Besides  being  a  man  of  unquestioned  integrity  and  systematic 
business  ability,  Mr.  Bass  possessed  many  other  good  qualities 
that  drew  men  to  him.  He  was  broad-minded,  well-poised, 
and  big-hearted.  His  judgment  and  opinion  on  most  any 
matter  was  worth  considering.  Being  a  good  story-teller,  well 
read,  and  widely  acquainted  with  men  and  things,  he  could 
always  illuminate  a  discussion  or  brighten  a  conversation  with 
his  readiness  to  ''point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale.''  Always 
patient,  always  kind,  always  genial,  he  not  only  had  no  enemy 
on  the  campus,  but  was  the  honored  and  respected  friend  of  all. 
The  same,  day  in  and  day  out,  he  performed  faithfully,  impar- 
tially, and  efficiently  the  duties  which  he  felt  belonged  to  his 
office. 

The  same  genial  manner  and  sturdy  integrity  which  made 
for  him  a  friend  of  every  one  connected  with  the  College  had 


54  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

likewise  won  for  him  the  high  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens  of 
the  city  and  State.      Peabody  College  will  miss  Mr.  Bass. 

I.  S.  Wampler. 


KNEW  Mr.  Bass  only  five  months,  but  during  that  time 
I  saw  very  much  of  him,  and  almost  from  the  very  begin- 
ning felt  that  I  had  known  him  for  years.  Kindness,  geniality, 
friendliness,  what  I  might  call  soul-sunshine,  radiated  from 
him  and  warmed  the  hearts  and  souls  of  those  who  came  in 
contact  with  him.  Mr.  Bass  was  an  aristocrat  and  a  gentleman 
in  the  best  sense  of  the  terms, — an  aristocrat  and  gentleman  of 
a  school  which,  unfortunately,  is  fast  vanishing  in  these  stren- 
uous times.  He  realized  the  ideal  the  noble  Greeks  strove  for 
in  their  best  days,  and  observing  him  I  understood  what  they 
meant  by  the  diagogic  life.  He  was  a  man  of  heart  as  well  as 
head,  a  man  of  great  consideration  and  sense  of  fitness ;  a  man 
of  worth  and  personality,  which  are  the  greatest  of  all 
possessions. 

I  loved  Mr.  Bass.  I  spent  many  a  delightful  hour  with  him, 
and  in  his  death  I  have  suffered  a  personal  loss, — the  loss  of 
a  human  influence  full  of  benignity  and  rich  in  beneficence. 
I  regret  very  much  that  it  was  not  my  good  fortune  to  have 
known  him  longer. 

Josiah  Morse. 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  55 

A  S  an  example  to  the  large  number  of  young  men   and 
women  observing  him,  it  seems  to  me  that  a  life  exempli- 
fying the  traits  of  character  observed  in  Mr.  Bass  has  more  of 
force  than  if  his  attainments  had  been  of  a  larger  order  and  his 
field  of  action  broader. 

Mr.  Bass  embodied  for  us  virtues  attainable  in  the  small 
spheres  of  life,  his  area  of  influence  being  the  circle  of  home 
and  business  associates.  I  had  seven  years  of  pleasant  associa- 
tion with  him  and  of  observation  of  his  characteristics,  and 
recognized  from  the  first  the  qualities  of  sympathy,  courtesy. 
and  gentlemanliness, — all  homely,  attainable  virtues. 

Mr.  Bass's  conception  of  honesty  has  been  dwelt  upon  by 
others  more  closely  associated  with  him  in  business  relations, 
but  cannot  be  too  much  emphasized.  As  Librarian  of  Peabody 
College,  I  had  such  dealing  with  him,  and  was  held  by  him  to 
strictest  accounting,  yet  always  with  considerate  courtesy. 

Mr.  Bass  told  me  once  that  since  his  association  with 
Peabody  College  he  had  come  in  contact  with  so  many  earnest 
young  women,  young  girls  with  an  aim  and  definite  object  in 
their  lives,  that  his  own  conception  of  woman  had  enlarged, 
and  that  he  now  felt  out  of  sympathy  with  the  "butterfly  atti- 
tude" of  the  woman  whose  life  is  without  definite  aim.  This 
last. idea  I  give  to  the  young  women  of  Peabody  College  as  an 
expression  from  their  true  friend,  whose  vision  of  life  and  duty 
and  aim  is  now  even  more  cleared. 

Jennie  E.  Lauderdale. 


56  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 


TN  the  passing  of  Mr.  John  M.  Bass  the  entire  College 
community  has  sustained  an  inestimable  loss.  This  is  pre- 
eminently true  of  the  Physical  Training  Department.  His 
attitude  toward  our  work  was  always  that  of  the  sympathetic 
participant.  From  his  own  boyhood  days  in  the  preparatory 
school  in  New  Haven,  where  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  players 
in  the  game  of  Rugby  Football,  and  when  he  could  "chin  the 
bar"  twenty  times  without  touching  the  floor,  down  to  his  last 
days,  his  interest  in  this  phase  of  education  never  flagged.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  was  constantly  manifested  in  our  daily  asso- 
ciation during  the  past  five  years.  Whether  we  planned  an 
entertainment  for  the  boys  and  girls,  or  some  internal  improve- 
ment for  the  Gymnasium,  or  one  of  his  annual  outings  for  large 
classes  of  College  students  in  the  Glendale  Hills,  it  was  the 
same.  He  was  keenly  interested  in  every  detail,  and  whatever 
contributed  to  the  welfare  and  healthful  enjoyment  of  youth, 
he  was  ever  ready  to  encourage  and  to  support  financially. 

In  the  supervision  of  students  in  their  temporary  homes,  he 
was  our  chief  adviser.  When  dealing  with  questions  of  right 
and  wrong  doing  on  the  part  of  students,  or  the  keepers  of  these 
homes,  he  decided  promptly  and  wisely  upon  the  right  course, 
then  prosecuted  it  unwaveringly  to  the  end. 

Peabody  College,  and  the  cause  of  education  in  general,  has 
indeed  lost  one  of  its  staunchest  friends  in  the  death  of  Mr. 
Bass. 

Jeannette  M.  King. 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  57 

HP  HE  two  characteristics  of  Mr.  Bass  which  impressed  me 
most  were  his  straightforward  and  business-like  methods, 
and  his  keen  sense  of  humor.  My  business  dealings  with  Mr. 
Bass  involved  only  small  amounts,  and  yet  I  found  him  as 
conscientious  and  painstaking  as  if  the  amounts  were  large  and 
the  matters  involved  of  a  serious  nature.  No  higher  tribute, 
I  think,  can  be  paid  a  man  than  to  say  of  him  that  he  was  as 
strictly  honest  in  small,  almost  trivial  matters,  as  in  large  and 
important  transactions. 

Mr.  Bass  always  had  a  kind  word  for  every  one,  and  enjoyed 
a  good-natured  joke.  When  I  wrote  to  a  friend,  who  was  a 
student  here  in  former  years,  concerning  the  death  of  Mr.  Bass, 
his  reply  was :  "He  was  always  kind  and  obliging  in  his 
business  dealings,  and  almost  always  had  some  good  joke  to 
tell."  This,  I  believe,  is  the  picture  of  the  man  which  hundreds 
of  former  students  carry  in  their  minds  and  cherish  in  their 
hearts. 

W.  O.  Floyd. 


Q  INCE  the  summer  of  1898,  it  has  been  my  great  privilege 
to  count  among  my  friends  Mr.  John  M.  Bass.  Mr.  Bass 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the  Winthrop  Model 
School.  A  boy  at  heart,  he  entered  into  the  spirit  of  boys 
as  no  one  else  could.  It  was  his  custom  to  spend  a  short  time 
each  week  with  us,  and  he  usually  chose  the  period  given  to 


58  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

manual  training;    frequently  he  brought  models,  and  helped 
the  boys  to  work  out  the  design. 

So  great  was  our  love  for  him  that  no  pleasure  seemed  com- 
plete without  him.  Always  gentle,  courteous,  and  fatherly, 
his  very  presence  was  a  benediction;  and  his  memory  will  be 
as  sweet  as  were  the  many  branches  of  spring  flowers  he  so 
often  left  on  our  window  sill. 

Mary  Arthur. 


/^  OMING  to  Peabody  as  I  did,  a  stranger  to  the  College  and 
every  one  connected  with  it,  and  at  the  same  time  wholly 
unfamiliar  with  the  work  to  be  done,  I  was  in  every  way 
dependent  upon  Mr.  Bass  for  help  and  instruction.  The 
patience  with  which  he  answered  my  every  question  and  care- 
fully explained  to  me  the  details  of  the  work,  as  well  as  the 
kindness  with  which  he  made  corrections  or  offered  suggestions 
gave  me  assurance  from  the  first  that  I  would  find  in  him  not 
only  a  pleasant  employer,  but  a  friend  as  well.  Two  and  one- 
half  years  of  daily  association  with  him  as  Assistant  Secretary 
proved  these  first  impressions  true. 

Mr.  Bass  was  a  careful  business  man,  scrupulously  honest, 
economical,  and  ever  watchful  of  the  best  interests  of  the 
College.  Exact  and  careful  in  every  particular,  he  had  no 
patience  with  negligence  or  carelessness  on  the  part  of  others. 
In  directing  the  affairs  of  the  office  he  was  considerate  of  the 
feelings  of  others  and  recognized  and  respected  the  rights  and 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  59 

privileges  of  those  under  his  supervision.  He  gave  no 
commands,  but  in  assigning  a  duty  did  it  as  though  he  were 
making  a  request  or  asking  a  personal  favor.  He  manifested 
a  kindly  personal  interest  in  all,  and  nothing  gave  him  greater 
pleasure  than  to  contribute  to  the  happiness  of  others.  I  feel 
that  I  can  pay  no  higher  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Bass 
than  to  say  that  by  his  every  word  and  act  he  proved  that  he 
richly  deserved  the  high  place  he  occupied  in  public  esteem. 

Belle  M.  Story. 


r^HE  memory  of  Mr.  Bass  will  be  cherished  by  the  hundreds 
of  Peabody  students  scattered  over  the  South,  and  by  all 
who  were  closely  associated  with  him  in  college  duties.  Within 
the  strictly  honest,  business  atmosphere  of  his  life,  he  carried  a 
warm  and  generous  heart,  a  true  insight  into  the  needs  of  his 
fellow  man,  and  a  heart  and  mind  ever  ready  to  give  unostenta- 
tious aid. 

To  me  he  has  left  many  pleasant  kindnesses  inscribed 
inerasably  on  the  tablets  of  the  heart.  A  vivid  picture  comes 
to  me  of  a  Christmas  morning  several  years  ago.  It  was  the 
first  I  had  been  separated  from  the  cheerful  living  voices  and 
sympathy  of  my  home.  A  Christmas  away  from  home !  Who 
cannot  recall  in  later  years  with  a  saddened  heart  his  first  expe- 
rience? I  could  not  think  of  anything  that  I  could  do  that 
would  compensate  for  the  loss  of  the  companionship  of  home 
on  a  Christmas  morning.      After  breakfast,  I  thought  of  the 


60  PEABODY   COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS, 

Christmas  tree  given  in  former  years  at  our  Gymnasium  for  the 
poor.  When  I  arrived,  the  room  was  full  of  little  children  in 
tatters  and  rags,  little  street  urchins,  with  hair  unkempt;  but 
all  with  faces  as  bright  as  the  morning.  Mr.  Bass,  who  had 
left  his  own  warm  fireside  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  these 
little  ones,  was  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  seeing  that  every 
one  received  his  share  of  Christmas  things.  Seeing  me,  he 
must  have  divined  something  of  my  homesickness,  for  he  imme- 
diately put  me  to  work  distributing  presents.  I  soon  caught 
the  sunshine  of  the  "it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
I  went  back  to  my  boarding  house  with  a  heart  filled  with 
happiness. 

Grace  Lewis  Gordon. 


TITITH  the  death  of  Mr.  John  M.  Bass,  one  of  Nashville's 
best  known  and  most  useful  citizens  has  passed  away. 
He  was  thoroughly  identified  with  this  city  and  its  people  and 
interests  by  birth  and  life-long  residence,  and  in  many  ways 
he  contributed  to  its  progress.  Much  of  his  talent  and  energy 
was  devoted  to  educational  work.  As  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Nashville  he  gave  assiduous 
attention  and  labor  to  the  interests  of  that  institution  and  the 
Peabody  College  for  Teachers,  conducted  under  its  auspices. 
In  this  work  and  as  a  trustee  of  Watkins  Institute,  with  its  night 
school,  Mr.  Bass'  labors  were  incalculable  in  their  value.  He 
was  a  citizen  of  the  highest  standing  and  usefulness,  but  one 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  (ft 

who  never  sought  to  push  himself  into  public  notice,  and  a  man 
whose  intellectual  attainments,  sterling  character,  and  admir- 
able personal  qualities  won  for  him  many  strong  and  lasting- 
friendships. 

Editorial  in  The  Nashville  Banner, 
November  20,  1908. 


Fairhaven,  Mass.,  November  19,  2.30  p.m. 
My  Dear  Governor  Porter: 

Your  telegram  has  just  reached  me,  and  I  learn  with  real 
sorrow  that  Mr.  Bass  has  passed  away.  I  have  always  had 
great  respect  for  Mr.  Bass,  for  he  was  always  and  everywhere 
a  true  gentleman.  I  have  felt,  too,  that  in  him  I  had  a  friend 
who  would  gladly  give  me  any  aid  I  might  require. 

He  has  rendered  invaluable  service  to  the  Peabody  College. 
Every  one  connected  with  the  College  loved  Mr.  Bass ;  he  was 
so  kind  and  helpful,  and  you,  Governor  Porter,  will  miss  him 
whichever  way  you  turn,  in  business  matters,  in  social  inter- 
course, and  in  daily  companionship. 

Most  sincerely  do  I  mourn  with  you  and  with  the  College  at 
the  great  loss  you  have  sustained. 

Sincerely, 

Julia  A.  Sears. 


Q2  PEABODY    COLLEGE   FOR    TEACHERS. 

Leipzig,  Germany,  December  9,  1908. 
Dear  Governor  Porter: 

This  will  be  a  sad  Christmas  at  the  College — a  "father"  has 
been  called  from  the  household.  Coming  to  the  College  when 
he  did  and  serving  it  as  he  did,  Mr.  Bass  rendered  it  a  service 
which  one  can  hardly  estimate.  Aside  from  all  this  he  was  a 
true,  noble  man,  with  a  loving  heart  and  helpful  hand.  His 
deeds  will  live,  as  all  deeds  that  spring  from  an  unselfish  nature. 

Professor  A.  P.  Bourland. 


Chicago,  November  23,  1908. 
My  Dear  Governor  Porter: 

I  want  to  express  to  you  the  keen  feeling  of  personal  loss  I 
experienced  when  I  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr:  Bass.  He 
certainly  was  a  true  friend  to  every  student  and  member  of  the 
Faculty  at  Peabody,  and  I  was  greatly  shocked  at  the  news  of 
his  sad  demise. 

Not  only  do  I  feel  the  loss  personally,  but  I  feel,  too,  that 
the  College  has  lost  a  good  and  true  friend  and  laborer  for  the 
highest  good  of  which  it  is  capable. 

The  rest  of  the  boys  here  from  Peabody  join  me  in  this 
expression  of  sympathy  for  the  loss  of  a  personal  friend  to  each 


NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE.  63 

and  every  one  of  us  and  an  efficient,  courteous,  and  capable 
college  official. 

Sincerely, 

W.  C.  Moore. 

26  Snell  Hall,   University  of  Chicago. 


Farmville,  Va.,  December  13,  1908. 
Dear  Governor  Porter: 

Only  this  past  week  the  sad  news  reached  me  of  Mr.  Bass's 
death,  and  it  was  a  very  great  shock  to  me.  You  know  some- 
thing of  what  his  friendship  and  fatherly  protection  were  to  me 
throughout  my  three  years  there;  and  I  know  how  sorely  and 
truly  he  will  be  missed.  I  cannot  think  of  the  College  without 
him.  Please  accept  these  few  words  to  express  the  heartfelt 
sympathy  of  one  who  loved  him,  whom  God  has  seen  fit  in  His 
wisdom  to  call  to  his  reward. 

Eloise  Ambler  Harrison. 


